“Why? Is the lesson over?”
“No, not yet… But I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about Sion.”
Sion’s name flowed naturally from Taylor’s mouth.
It hadn’t been like that at first. Originally, it was much longer. Right, Miss’s slave.
It had only been a week ago that the three syllables had been reasonably shortened to two.
“Yeah, what about Sion?”
“Are you sure this is his first time learning to use a sword?”
“That’s what he said, right? Sir Taylor asked Sion himself.”
“Well, yes, but…”
Sion had answered Taylor’s question with a nod. Taylor paused, lost in thought, then spoke again.
“I’m sorry, miss. I’ll explain later, as it may be premature to jump to conclusions.”
“Huh? Alright, do as you see fit.”
Taylor nodded slightly, then quickly returned to Sion without lingering.
Watching Taylor move away, Laila, who had no intention of holding him back, simply stared at his retreating figure with a puzzled expression.
‘Why is he acting like that? Oh, could it be that he was surprised because Sion is an incredible genius who’s learning the sword for the first time?’
Laila chuckled at her own thoughts.
Haha, no way.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Sion is an incredible genius who’s learning the sword for the first time.”
“Cough!”
“Miss? Are you alright?”
“Oh, I’m, I’m fine. Just a sudden cough… Don’t worry about it.”
Laila took out a handkerchief and cleaned her hands, teacup, and mouth.
As she bundled up the soiled handkerchief, her hand trembled slightly.
‘Was it real?’
Was the thought she had jokingly entertained not long ago actually true?
Today marked one month since Sion began his swordsmanship lessons.
After the lesson, Taylor hesitated for a moment before suggesting they move to another location to talk.
Normally, Laila would have insisted on staying here to talk, but Taylor’s expression was so serious. So she agreed to move to an empty room as suggested.
She had prepared tea, partly to create a suitable atmosphere.
And then, now.
Laila pushed the teacup a little away from her. She was worried that if she kept fidgeting with it, she might accidentally knock it over.
“So, you’re saying Sion is an incredible genius? Can you explain how much of a genius he is?”
But how could he explain? Well, the immediate comparison would be with the childhood of other famous swordsmanship prodigies…
“There is nothing more for me to teach Sion.”
“What?”
It was truly a shocking statement that came out unexpectedly. Laila thought she had made the right decision to push the teacup away.
“Th-That means… could it be that Sion has surpassed Sir Taylor in skill?”
Even as she said it, she felt like she was spouting nonsense. Taylor remained silent for a moment before responding.
“I’m not sure about that. I’m sure Sion’s understanding of the sword surpasses mine. However… victory in combat is determined by various factors.”
The young genius knight continued.
“The difference in physique is significant, so perhaps if I were to fight Sion now, I might win?”
The condition ‘now’ was added. Yet, there was no absolute certainty of victory.
Laila’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Goodness gracious.
‘Was Sion truly that much of a genius?’
The term ‘incredible genius’ might not have been an exaggeration. No, perhaps it wasn’t just incredible; it might have been beyond incredible. Or maybe among the incredible geniuses, there was a level of incredibleness specifically reserved for him…
Laila found herself trapped in the word ‘incredible’, and Taylor spoke up again.
“But we can also consider another hypothesis.”
“……?”
“If Sion was an exceptional swordsman in his previous life and still retains those memories…”
Although Taylor was presenting a simple hypothesis, his tone was serious.
“I would lose.”
“…….”
“I wouldn’t win. No matter how many times we fought.”
“…….”
“Not just me, any knight in the order… Oh.”
Taylor paused as he realized his mistake, then glanced around, smiled awkwardly, and corrected himself.
“I would lose. As for other knights, well, I’m not sure. They might have a chance.”
The maid silently lowered her eyes after receiving Taylor’s brief gaze. Taylor pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead.
“Anyway, this is all just a hypothetical scenario for fun. I mean, remembering a past life, what could be more unrealistic?”
“……Yes.”
“It’s as unlikely as someone dying and coming back to life.”
Laila was momentarily speechless. Her heart pounded so hard that it felt frightening.
A hypothesis she had never entertained before suddenly came to mind, all because of Taylor’s words.
What if, just in case, Sion remembered his previous life before the regression…….
‘That can’t be.’
Soon, Laila let out a light laugh, almost like a sigh.
‘What am I thinking? It’s ridiculous.’
If that were the case, Sion would have hated her much more than he does now.
He would have resented her for forcing him to repeatedly regress and face death…
He might even remember the pain of dying each time.
Laila reminded herself that Sion had recently stopped glaring at her. Her thumping heart quickly calmed.
Surely, that couldn’t be true.
Pushing aside the brief moment of anxiety, Laila spoke up.
“So, Sir Taylor, are you going to stop teaching swordsmanship now?”
“No.”
“Why? You said there’s nothing more to teach him.”
“While I may not be able to teach, I can still observe. And occasionally offer advice…”
Taylor’s gaze seemed to drift into the distance, perhaps thinking of Sion.
“As his master, I believe I have a duty to closely watch over his growth.”
Master.
Warmth emanated from the word, which flowed effortlessly.
Laila suddenly looked at Taylor again, recalling his change. He’d gone from referring to Sion as Laila’s slave to calling him by his first name, and now, without hesitation, he said he was his master.
‘…..ah.’
Her heart fluttered, and at the same time, Laila realized one thing.
Why did she specifically wish for Sion to learn swordsmanship?
The other reasons were just excuses. They were all nothing more than small pretexts.
The truth is, this is what she wanted.
In the future, Sion would defeat Hildegarde with a single blade, and with that kind of potential, he would surely excel if he took up the sword now.
Therefore, Sion’s demonstration of his sword skills is necessary.
She wanted to see approving gazes.
She wanted his situation to improve from before.
That’s what she desired. That’s why she wanted Sion to learn nothing but the sword.
‘…..But why?’
Why did she want that?
Laila thought of the answer quickly. ‘So that Sion would be grateful. So that I could win his favor. So that I could be alive in ten years…’
That’s it. There is no other reason.
“By the way, miss. Come to think of it, did I mention this to you? During the nineteenth lesson, Sion…”
As Laila finished her contemplation, Taylor began a new story.
She listened intently, and four words summed it up perfectly. Boasting about his student.
Laila quickly became engrossed in the story. Though she had witnessed every lesson, hearing it from an expert’s perspective made it sound somehow different.
Initially chiming in with Taylor’s words, Laila eventually started laughing along.
Laila was in a good mood throughout and after listening to Taylor’s story.
It was definitely that way, until the butler suddenly appeared to take Laila to the Marquis’s office shortly after parting ways with Taylor.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
The full moon was out.
Actually, the moon has been up for a while now. She doesn’t know exactly when.
One thing was certain: the moon had risen, and quite some time had passed.
What time is it now? Has midnight passed? Or not yet?
She’s been sitting there for hours. Not sure exactly how long.
It was probably past her bedtime, but she couldn’t sleep. She just…….
Laila buried her face in her hands. It felt like she was losing her mind.
Self-blame and regret stabbed sharply through her entire being.
‘Taylor said there’s nothing more to teach your slave.’
How could he know? Laila thought that as soon as she was summoned to the Marquis’s office and heard his first words.
